At least 17 journalists assaulted during Egypt clashes

New York, November 21, 2011 - Clashes between security
forces and protesters in Cairo and other Egyptian cities have led to at least 17
assaults on the press over the past couple of days, including a shooting,
detentions, and a beating by unidentified security personnel while in custody. The
Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the attacks and calls on authorities
to bring them to an immediate end.

"Journalists must be allowed to carry out their work without
threat of assault," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North
Africa program coordinator. "Furthermore, prosecutors have an obligation to
investigate claims of abuse by military and police against journalists."

Since Saturday, Cairo's Tahrir Square has been occupied by protesters
demanding an end to military rule. They were met by security forces firing live
and rubber ammunition, deploying tear gas bombs, and assaulting scores of
people, according to news
reports. As of Monday, at least 33 people had been killed and thousands
injured as a result of the clashes, several news outlets reported.

Today, Maher Iskandar, a photographer for the daily Youm7, was shot in the left leg while
filming clashes in Tahrir Square, the daily reported. Iskandar was
taken to a field hospital in close proximity to the central Cairo square.

Military and police units attacked at least 10 journalists
in and around Tahrir Square on Sunday, Karem Mahmoud, secretary-general of
Egypt's press syndicate, told CPJ. The journalists include: Rasha Azab, editor
for the independent Al-Fagr; Omar
al-Zohairi and Motaz Zaki, both photographers for the independent daily Al-Tahrir; Mahmoud al-Hefnaoui, editor
for Youm7; Mohamed Kamel, an editor
for the independent daily Al-Masry
al-Youm and Adanob Emad, Tarek Wageeh, and Ahmed Abd al-Fattah, all
photographers for the same independent daily; Amr Gamal, an editor for the
website Al-Hurriya wa Al-Adala, a
nascent youth group; and Saad Abid, a freelance photographer.

Abd al-Fattah, who sustained an eye injury, and Azab were still recovering from their
injuries in hospital today, according to the syndicate. Gamal and Zaki were
detained for several hours, the syndicate said.

In Alexandria on Sunday, police attacked six journalists,
one of whom was taken into detention for six hours and repeatedly beaten,
Mahmoud told CPJ. That reporter, Sarhan Sinara with the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, was assaulted and detained by
unidentified security personnel, then repeatedly beaten with a club, Mahmoud said.
Sinara is recovering from his injuries at home.

The five other journalists who were assaulted and suffered
injuries in Alexandria on Sunday are: Ahmed Tarek, an editor for the official
Middle East News Agency; Ahmed Ramadan, a photographer for Al-Tahrir; Mohamed Fuad and Essam Amer, Alexandria office director and
editor, respectively, for Al-Shorouk;
and Rafi Mohamed Shakir, a photographer for Al-Shorouk,
the syndicate told CPJ and said in a statement released today.

CPJ could not determine the exact type of attacks on all of
the journalists nor the extent of injuries they sustained.

The six journalists attacked in Alexandria submitted a
formal complaint today to prosecutors accusing the chief of the Alexandria
Security Directorate of being responsible for the physical assaults, local
media reported.
The complaint says that Sinara was repeatedly beaten before and after he
brandished his credentials and identified himself as a journalist. He was also
prevented from taking medication for the duration of his time in custody, the
reports said.

The military leadership has offered no explanation regarding
the attacks on journalists.